Which Nebraska Teams Started Out Hot in Week 1?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some Nebraska teams came out of the gates swinging. Let's find them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We followed a flurry of high school action happening across the Cornhusker State, and big winners have inevitably emerged. There have been tournament champions, one-off wins, and everything in between. It's all in play for this feature.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, let's look at the teams and players who won big in Week 1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Papillion-La Vista South</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How about a little more hardware from the Bellevue West Invitational?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Indeed, the Bellevue West Invite was more than most teams bargained for. We've heard tales of squads leaving the gym at midnight. It's an incredible physical grind for everyone involved--including the parents and fans. Way to stick it out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the end, the defending Class A champs got the job done with a tournament championship. The Titans defeated Skutt Catholic to win the title and also went through Papio and Millard North in bracket play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This crew continues to amaze us. Papio South loses impactful players every year but manages to uphold its high standards in spite of the turnover. [player_tooltip player_id='109585' first='Lauren' last='Medeck'] and [player_tooltip player_id='152854' first='Morgan' last='Bode'] are the new senior torchbearers for the program. That's no surprise. A huge shoutout is also due to backcourt players like [player_tooltip player_id='275896' first='Kami' last='Dyrstad'] and [player_tooltip player_id='183983' first='Quinn' last='Groves'] who help keep ball control as a Titan strength.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The champs are still a frontrunner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/PLSouthTitanVb/status/1695572376677728663?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/PLSouthTitanVb/status/1695572376677728663?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Omaha Skutt Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's give a shoutout to the runner-up from the Bellevue West Invite.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we mentioned in our previews, Omaha Skutt Catholic technically punches above its weight when it competes at this event. It's a Class B team dueling Class A heavyweights. But we also know that Skutt Catholic is not an ordinary volleyball program, and that continues to be the case after this weekend's results.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The SkyHawks seemed undaunted during their difficult path to the tournament championship match. Friday ended with a trio of Class A sweeps over Gretna, Millard West, and Papillion-La Vista. That would have been a great weekend of work on its own.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Skutt Catholic would also take down Millard South and swipe a second victory over the Dragons before meeting last year's Class A champions. And, true to Skutt Catholic form, we're gearing up for another regular-season tournament as the SkyHawks visit Kansas City in early September.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Until then, we're looking for standout veterans like [player_tooltip player_id='109597' first='Paisley' last='Douglas'], [player_tooltip player_id='155052' first='Kiera' last='Link'], and [player_tooltip player_id='173527' first='Abbie' last='Hagedorn'] to keep producing for this remarkable program. There's still so much work to do, but the SkyHawks keep soaring toward greatness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Exeter-Milligan/Friend</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's a new era, and it's off to a great start.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of Nebraska's newest consolidations has Exeter-Milligan and Friend joining forces to become the Exeter-Milligan/Friend Bobcats.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The team's 2-0 start over Pawnee City and Lewiston deserves recognition as the new-look Bobcats hope to renew postseason success. Returning stars like <strong>Savanna Krupicka</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231947' first='Kaydence' last='Haase']</strong>, and <strong>Malorie Staskal</strong> remain instrumental to the team's success after standing out for the Timberwolves last fall. Even while donning new colors, these athletes are starting off on a hot streak.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gretna East</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How about a school that's totally new?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gretna East is this year's major addition to the Omaha Metro, and it's a team loaded with familiar faces from across the suburb. The Griffins pulled in many Gretna athletes for its inaugural roster--and the head coach, too. Former Dragons [player_tooltip player_id='189352' first='Hailey' last='Levinson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='209291' first='Hayden' last='Hart'] are leading the way in the kills department while [player_tooltip player_id='230003' first='Nyah' last='Potthoff'] runs the offense at setter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With such a superstar cast, it's no surprise to see the Griffins jump out to a 4-0 start. After a one-off victory over Blair to start the season, Gretna East swept through the Lincoln Northeast Invite with wins over Bellevue East, Lincoln Southeast, and Lincoln Northeast. Many of Gretna East's players know about the rigors of Class A, but Year 1 puts this group in Class B. It's an opportunity to make serious gains right way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Stuart</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5-0. So far, so good.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Broncos are vying for another November trip to Lincoln, and this is the way to start the journey. Thursday's opener featured a three-set sweep over Twin Loup. Then, Stuart rolled through its Saturday matches and took down Boone Central/Newman Grove, Boyd County, and Plainview. [player_tooltip player_id='492367' first='Lacey' last='Paxton'] is setting the pace as the captain for Stuart. She also benefits from the smooth setting of Addie Ketteler, who is back in the mix for her junior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Minden</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Minden is poised for another extraordinary season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Whippets were seldom beaten in last year's regular season, and that might be the case again in 2023. It's been a smooth 4-0 start with sweeps over Ord, Ainsworth, Valentine, and fellow postseason powerhouse Adams Central. The dynamic left-side attacking of [player_tooltip player_id='173530' first='Mattie' last='Kamery'] remains a difference-maker. She can put up some of the best kill numbers in the state, even if she's a part-time setter. Speaking of setters, we're seeing [player_tooltip player_id='276201' first='Myla' last='Emery'] become a steady leader at that position after an outstanding freshman campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br><strong>Bennington</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Badgers round out our Week 1 feature after a perfect run in Norfolk.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bennington had a perfect Saturday tripleheader with sweeps over South Sioux City, Kearney, and tournament host Norfolk. That trio of results also comes as the Badgers opened the season with a Thursday win over Lincoln Northwest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Post-Week 1 numbers for Bennington attackers are impressive. [player_tooltip player_id='253919' first='Hayden' last='Liebsack'] is putting away over three kills per set while [player_tooltip player_id='240573' first='Keatyn' last='Liebsack'] is hitting well over 0.350. Middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='125418' first='Taylor' last='Olsen'] is another hitter who has easily eclipsed the 0.300 mark so far. [player_tooltip player_id='179361' first='Madelyn' last='Uhlir'], a multi-year starting setter for the Badgers, is now getting a chance to attack in the front row as part of a two-setter system. She does it all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mauch representation has now doubled with freshman [player_tooltip player_id='458134' first='Millie' last='Mauch'] joining the lineup as Bennington's other setter. [player_tooltip player_id='109590' first='Olivia' last='Mauch'], a future Cornhusker, has not slowed down after returning from a gold medal run at the U19 World Championships. She's compiling well over five digs per set so far.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/BadgerVolleybal/status/1695554905111486705?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/BadgerVolleybal/status/1695554905111486705?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->